{"id":83075,"date":"2026-10-21T23:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/?p=83075"},"modified":"2026-10-21T23:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:10:17","slug":"daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Current Affairs for UPSC Preparation (21 October 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_77 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#1_India_New_Zealand_Free_Trade_Agreement\" >1. India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#2_WWF-India_Launches_Nationwide_Green_Diwali_Campaign\" >2. WWF-India Launches Nationwide Green Diwali Campaign<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#3_National_Commission_for_Women_NCW_Takes_Suo_Motu_Cognizance_of_Alleged_Defamatory_Content_Against_Folk_Singer_Neha_Singh_Rathore\" >3. National Commission for Women (NCW) Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Alleged Defamatory Content Against Folk Singer Neha Singh Rathore<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#4_Three_New_Centipede_Species_Discovered_in_Western_Ghats\" >4. Three New Centipede Species Discovered in Western Ghats<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#5_Chief_of_Air_Staff_Air_Marshal_AP_Singh_Took_His_Final_Sortie_on_HJT-16_Kiran_Mk-1_Trainer_Aircraft\" >5. Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal AP Singh Took His Final Sortie on HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 Trainer Aircraft<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#6_Heat_Storms_Giant_Heat_Waves\" >6. Heat Storms: Giant Heat Waves<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#7_Islamic_State-Linked_Militants_Killed_48_Civilians_in_Mali\" >7. Islamic State-Linked Militants Killed 48 Civilians in Mali<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#8_Attack_on_a_Market_in_Disputed_Abyei_Region_in_Africa_Kills_at_Least_15\" >8. Attack on a Market in Disputed Abyei Region in Africa Kills at Least 15<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/#9_Aditya-L1_Mission_Offers_New_Insights_into_the_Direction_of_Solar_Eruptions\" >9. Aditya-L1 Mission Offers New Insights into the Direction of Solar Eruptions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-india-new-zealand-free-trade-agreement\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_India_New_Zealand_Free_Trade_Agreement\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">1. India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was signed on <strong>27 April 2026<\/strong> and it came into force on <strong>20 October 2026<\/strong>. This agreement will create opportunities for exports from India, mainly for labour-intensive industries like footwear, textiles, leather etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About this Free Trade Agreement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>It will support the <strong>India New Zealand Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2030<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It sets the target of doubling the trade in goods and services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It will provide zero-duty access to Indian exports to New Zealand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Provisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>New Zealand has eliminated the import duties on all Indian exports across all sectors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India reduced the tariffs on approximately 95% of imports from New Zealand.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New Zealand will invest 20 Billion USD in India over 15 years.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Indian Government excluded sectors mainly agriculture and dairy products from tariff relaxations to protect the domestic market.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This agreement has established mechanisms like <strong>Tariff Rate Quotas<\/strong> for some selected products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It introduced the <strong>Temporary Employment Entry visa category<\/strong> for Indians.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Created dedicated student and post-study work mechanisms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-wwf-india-launches-nationwide-green-diwali-campaign\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_WWF-India_Launches_Nationwide_Green_Diwali_Campaign\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">2. WWF-India Launches Nationwide Green Diwali Campaign<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WWF-India and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with the Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP) Centre, launched the <strong>Nationwide Green Diwali Campaign<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The objective of this campaign is to urge citizens to avoid firecrackers, reduce festive waste, eliminate single-use plastics and adopt sustainable options like traditional clay diyas and energy-efficient lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The campaign will focus on <strong>130 non-attainment cities under the National Clean Air Programme<\/strong> to combat and curb winter smog and particulate matter, mainly PM10 and PM2.5 spikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About WWF-India:<\/strong> It was formed in 1969 as a charitable public trust and functions autonomously to work alongside WWF networks globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-national-commission-for-women-ncw-takes-suo-motu-cognizance-of-alleged-defamatory-content-against-folk-singer-neha-singh-rathore\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_National_Commission_for_Women_NCW_Takes_Suo_Motu_Cognizance_of_Alleged_Defamatory_Content_Against_Folk_Singer_Neha_Singh_Rathore\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">3. National Commission for Women (NCW) Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Alleged Defamatory Content Against Folk Singer Neha Singh Rathore<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About National Commission for Women:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a statutory body formed under the <strong>National Commission for Women Act, 1990<\/strong>, on <strong>31 January 1992<\/strong>. It functions under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a multi-member body consisting of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>1 Chairperson<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5 members from fields of law, management, women&#8217;s organisations and trade unions, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 member secretary, who can be a civil servant or a management or sociological expert.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> At least one member each must belong to the <strong>SC and ST communities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tenure of members is <strong>3 years<\/strong> or as specified by the Central Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Functions and Powers:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>It has the powers of a civil court while investigating complaints and demanding public records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It can take suo motu notice of cases involving the non-enforcement of women&#8217;s rights and laws.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It advises the government and gives recommendations about constitutional and legislative amendments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Central Government must consult the NCW while making policies and laws that affect women.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It submits the annual report to the Central Government and lays it before Parliament, along with a report on actions taken by the government on the recommendations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-three-new-centipede-species-discovered-in-western-ghats\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Three_New_Centipede_Species_Discovered_in_Western_Ghats\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">4. Three New Centipede Species Discovered in Western Ghats<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India&#8217;s Western Ghats Regional Centre and Malabar Christian College discovered the species in the forests of Kerala and Karnataka in the Western Ghats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The three species belong to the genus <strong>Rhysida<\/strong>. This discovery has raised the total number of Rhysida species to <strong>23 in India<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New Species:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rhysida quadrispinosa:<\/strong> Named for the four distinctive spines on its hind legs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rhysida coorgensis:<\/strong> Named after the Coorg region in Karnataka.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rhysida neyyarensis:<\/strong> Named after the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These centipedes act as key predators by feeding on small insects and invertebrates, playing a vital role in maintaining food chains and soil ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-chief-of-air-staff-air-marshal-ap-singh-took-his-final-sortie-on-hjt-16-kiran-mk-1-trainer-aircraft\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Chief_of_Air_Staff_Air_Marshal_AP_Singh_Took_His_Final_Sortie_on_HJT-16_Kiran_Mk-1_Trainer_Aircraft\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">5. Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal AP Singh Took His Final Sortie on HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 Trainer Aircraft<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 Trainer Aircraft:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a two-seat, single-engine, jet-powered trainer and light attack aircraft. It was designed and built by <strong>Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was the <strong>first military jet aircraft designed and built indigenously in India<\/strong> and performed its first flight in September 1964.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is used by the IAF and Indian Navy for intermediate flight training and weapons training. It also served the IAF&#8217;s Surya Kiran and Indian Navy&#8217;s Sagar Pawan teams, performing aerobatic displays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It has 3 variants:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mk-1:<\/strong> Basic trainer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mk-1A:<\/strong> Fitted with underwing hard-points mainly for weapons training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mk-II:<\/strong> An upgraded version with a Rolls-Royce Orpheus engine and nose-mounted machine guns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>[Insert Image: HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-heat-storms-giant-heat-waves\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Heat_Storms_Giant_Heat_Waves\"><\/span><strong>6. Heat Storms: Giant Heat Waves<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These are large-scale, prolonged periods of extreme high temperatures caused by atmospheric blocking by heat domes due to the trapping of hot air masses. They are intensified by human activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IMD&#8217;s criteria for declaring heat waves:<\/strong> When the temperature reaches above <strong>40\u00b0C in plains<\/strong> or above <strong>30\u00b0C in hills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can cause severe public health risks, reduced agricultural yields, stress on power grids and increased urban heat island effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-islamic-state-linked-militants-killed-48-civilians-in-mali\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Islamic_State-Linked_Militants_Killed_48_Civilians_in_Mali\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">7. Islamic State-Linked Militants Killed 48 Civilians in Mali<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Mali:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a <strong>landlocked country situated in West Africa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Capital:<\/strong> Bamako, situated on the banks of the Niger River.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bordering countries:<\/strong> Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, C\u00f4te d&#8217;Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal and Mauritania.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Geographical Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sahel region:<\/strong> The transition zone spans the northern part, while the south has savanna.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mount Hombori Tondo:<\/strong> The highest peak of Mali.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bandiagara Escarpment:<\/strong> A UNESCO World Heritage Site is also located here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Niger River:<\/strong> The primary lifeline of the country, forming the Inland Niger Delta.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Senegal River:<\/strong> Flows through the western part and is formed by the confluence of the Bafing and Bakoye rivers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-attack-on-a-market-in-disputed-abyei-region-in-africa-kills-at-least-15\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Attack_on_a_Market_in_Disputed_Abyei_Region_in_Africa_Kills_at_Least_15\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">8. Attack on a Market in Disputed Abyei Region in Africa Kills at Least 15<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Abyei Region:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a <strong>disputed border region situated between Sudan and South Sudan<\/strong> in Africa. It is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is governed under <strong>Special Administrative Status<\/strong> by the <strong>2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement<\/strong>, also known as the Khartoum Agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has fertile agricultural lands and is situated near the Bahr al-Ghazal River. It has large oil reserves. It is inhabited by the <strong>Ngok Dinka<\/strong> community and nomadic herders known as <strong>Misseriya<\/strong> pastoralists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This region is policed by the <strong>United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA)<\/strong>, formed in 2011 to maintain peace. India has contributed a large force to UNISFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-aditya-l1-mission-offers-new-insights-into-the-direction-of-solar-eruptions\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Aditya-L1_Mission_Offers_New_Insights_into_the_Direction_of_Solar_Eruptions\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">9. Aditya-L1 Mission Offers New Insights into the Direction of Solar Eruptions<\/mark><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It has provided new Doppler velocity images and joint data to decode <strong>Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)<\/strong> from the Sun&#8217;s surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Coronal Mass Ejections:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They include hot plasma, or electrically charged gases, from the <strong>corona<\/strong>, the Sun&#8217;s outer layer, ejected during powerful solar eruptions. They can travel in any direction and can disrupt Earth&#8217;s space environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Aditya-L1 Mission:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is <strong>ISRO&#8217;s space-based observatory to study the Sun&#8217;s activities<\/strong>. It is positioned at <strong>Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Earth\u2013Sun system<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its objective is to study the photosphere, corona, chromosphere and solar winds. It was launched in <strong>September 2023<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement It was signed on 27 April 2026 and it came into force on 20 October 2026. This agreement will create opportunities for exports from India, mainly for labour-intensive industries like footwear, textiles, leather etc. About this Free Trade Agreement: Key Provisions: 2. WWF-India Launches Nationwide Green Diwali Campaign [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":560,"featured_media":82720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.4 (Yoast SEO v21.9.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Daily Current Affairs for UPSC Preparation (21 October 2026) - iQuanta<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-for-upsc-preparation-21-october-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Daily Current Affairs for UPSC Preparation (21 October 2026)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"1. India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement It was signed on 27 April 2026 and it came into force on 20 October 2026. This agreement will create opportunities for exports from India, mainly for labour-intensive industries like footwear, textiles, leather etc. About this Free Trade Agreement: Key Provisions: 2. 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